Leading with Purpose: Helping School Leaders Navigate Today’s Digital Challenges

By Nicole Arsenault, EngagED Learning

In June 2025, Engaged Learning delivered an in-person professional learning session for the principals and educational services team of Eastern Shores School Board. The session, offered in English, was a workshop designed to reinforce the use of resources included in the board’s subscription: the École branchée magazine (in French) and EngagED Learning magazine (in English), online training modules (in French), and classroom pedagogical guides (in French).

The goal was clear: help leaders make the most of the board’s investment in EngagED Learning’s full services while addressing real challenges schools are facing around artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and the accelerating pace of technological change.

By the end of the morning, principals not only had space to reflect and exchange ideas but also left with tangible resources to support their ongoing work:

• A Padlet compiling key resources.
• A workbook for principals with links to articles, training, and pedagogical tools.
• Guided discussion prompts to use back in their schools.

Block 1: Let’s Reflect

The session opened with reflection on four pressing challenges in educational technology: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, screen usage, and family involvement.

For each challenge, principals considered both risks and opportunities—not just for educators, but also for students. The focus was on moving beyond fear of the unknown to practical reflection:

• AI: How can we guide teachers and staff to use AI responsibly?
• Cybersecurity: What role can leadership play in prevention and awareness?
• Screen usage: How can we support teachers in using screens intentionally?
• Family involvement: How can we better involve families in our school’s digital decisions?

*Slide from EngagED Learning Presentation

Each topic was grounded in real scenarios principals could relate to. Short prompts encouraged dialogue and exchange, helping participants surface both challenges and opportunities relevant to their own contexts.

Block 2: Let’s Explore

From reflection, the group moved to exploration. Principals received a guided overview of the École branchée / EngagED Learning resources and how these align with the school board’s Commitment-to-Success Plan (or PEVR – plan d’engagement vers la réussite).

Concrete examples were highlighted to illustrate how schools can put the resources into action:

• Using École branchée articles as authentic study texts to spark class discussions.
• Applying online training modules to support teacher development in emerging topics.
• Leveraging pedagogical guides to design engaging classroom activities.

The emphasis was on helping principals see how existing resources already address the very challenges explored in Block 1.

Block 3: Let’s Plan

The final block brought everything together. Here, participants connected the dots by matching resources to the challenges discussed earlier. 

To ensure principals could act on these ideas, the group navigated the online platform together, building familiarity with how to find and share the resources effectively.

Each participant left with a comprehensive workbook linking back to the tools, strategies, and examples explored during the session. This ensured the momentum of the workshop would carry forward into practical application.

Lasting Impact

The workshop was more than just a one-off training. It created space for principals to reflect on important digital-age challenges, explore concrete tools at their disposal, and plan actionable next steps.

As the workshop came to a close, one principal described its impact best: 

It’s reassuring to leave (a training session) with a bank of quality resources.  I feel better equipped and more confident to support my teachers.

For Eastern Shores School Board, the session underscored the value of their subscription with École branchée and EngagED Learning: a growing ecosystem of resources that equips school leaders and teachers to navigate today’s evolving digital landscape.

To find out more about how École branchée and EngagED Learning can help with professional development at your school board, please reach out!